The latest episode of The Apprentice is set in Budapest and surrounding areas.Continue reading
Budapest has long been a favorite destination for international film shoots, and visiting movie stars are gushing about Hungary on social media, which not only means free publicity, but also benefits tourism.
A favorite habit of film fans is to visit the original locations they saw on screen, writes Mandiner. Thanks to this, film tourism is now a billion-dollar business, and its popularity is growing. What is more, when movie stars post about beautiful locations and good times in a country or city, their fans are more likely to choose it as their next holiday destination.
Among the most popular destinations, Hungary is high on the list.
In the case of classic film tourism, the tourist travels to a place specifically to see a film location, take photographs, and collect souvenirs. The classic film tourist is therefore a fan first and a tourist who wants to travel second. Film tourism in the broader sense, however, includes any tourist attraction that has been created to take advantage of the impact of a film, or that originally existed but became popular because of the film.
Many Hollywood celebrities have visited Hungary in recent years, and most recently Arnold Schwarzenegger went to a gym with Viktor Orbán. The former governor of California also visited the Déryné restaurant, where one of America’s most famous actors, Morgan Freeman, also recently dined.
Photo: Facebook/Orbán Viktor
Readers may also recall that when Han Solo character, Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford was filming the second part of Blade Runner 2049 in Hungary, and he spent the first few days in a bike shop, rented several bikes and rode along the Danube, visiting Szentendre and Kisoroszi (both near the capital).
BBC’s The Apprentice, a business reality show, has been growing in popularity since 2005, with more than 6.5 million viewers in the UK for its last series. The latest episode of the series is set in and around Budapest, including the Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Castle Garden Bazaar, Vörösmarty Square, the Vigadó of Pest, and Margaret Island. The Hungarian Tourism Agency (MTÜ) also assisted the production in the selection of locations and tasks.
The episode of the BBC reality show filmed in Hungary is an unparalleled publicity opportunity for the country at the beginning of the city’s visitor season.
A television program with high ratings is an excellent way to attract attention to Hungary,
as the MTÜ knows from data that 12% of British tourists are primarily inspired by press products when choosing a travel destination.
Readers may also recall that Will Smith, one of Hollywood’s best-known actors, filmed Gemini Man in 2018, and on his last day in Hungary, he climbed to the top of the Chain Bridge to complete a dance challenge.
Every American’s favorite actor, Tom Hanks, also praised the Hungarian capital when he was shooting Inferno, a sequel to the blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, back in 2016.
“It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I am from San Francisco, and San Francisco is the most beautiful city, but Budapest isn’t far behind with that. The mountains on the Buda side, the plain on the Pest side, and the River Danube between the two parts are amazing, especially by night when the whole city is in floodlight. However, the most amazing thing I experienced in Budapest when we were driving back to our hotel early morning from shooting and I saw girls biking on the street, walking hand-in-hand, snigging and giggling. They were talking in the middle of the night out on the streets. I had the feeling it is a totally safe city. You cannot experience this in American cites,” the Hollywood star explained.
On the final day of the Budapest Classic Film Marathon in 2024, Zombieland and The Social Network actor Jesse Eisenberg appeared at the Uránia National Film Theater to watch Sunshine with a packed audience. The actor is very fond of István Szabó’s film, which tells the story of five generations of a Hungarian Jewish family originally named Sonnenschein, during the changes in Hungary from the end of the 19th to the mid-20th century. After the screening, the actor met and took a photo with the filmmakers present at the event. Furthermore, the movie star also visited the iconic House of Terror Museum.
Via Mandiner; Featured image via Facebook/Orbán Viktor
